State BJP SC Morcha President D S Veeraiah has charged the Congress party
with shedding 'crocodile tears' over Dalits, and said that the party was not
interested about the welfare of the oppressed classes.
Addressing a meeting of BJP workers at the party office here on Saturday, he
said the BJP was not a political party, but a movement. The Congress does
not have any concern for the welfare of Dalits, he said and noted that the
Congress had allegedly prevented Babu Jagajeevan Ram from becoming the
country's premier.

Mr Veeraiah said after the BJP came to power at the Centre, it amended
Article 81 and 82 and took steps for filling up backlog vaccancies in
government departments and gave promotion to lakhs of Dalit employees.

The government implemented the ''Annapoorna'' scheme and gave essential
commodities at very nominal rates.
For first time, a five-member committee was appointed to the National SC/ST
Commission constituted in 1949. Besides, the government had appointed Mr
Dilip Singh Bhuria to prevent atrocities on Dalits and also for bringing
reforms in the reservation system. The reservation for SC/ST, backward
classes and minorities would continue for another 10 years and this was
enabled by the BJP government, he said.

He said the Congress had no moral right to talk about Dalits and challenged
them to come out with a statement about their programmes for the overall
development of Dalits since 1951.

The Karnataka State Minorities, Backward Classes and General Category
Government Employees' Protection Forum will organise a rally in Bangalore on
April 4 against the 'unscientific' reservation policy of the State
government.

In a press statement, Forum Convenor M Nagaraj said that due to the
'unscientific' reservation policy of the State government, the SC and ST
employees are getting more representation than the prescribed 18 per cent.
This defective policy of reservation has hindered the promotional
opportunities of the minorities, backward classes and general category
employees.

The rally will commence from Jakkarayanakere ground and culminate at the
Government Arts and Science College grounds. A memorandum will be submitted
to the Governor and chief minister